Spring 21 virtual music thread

[thirdfiddle]

New year, new lockdown, new virtual ensembles and digital exams - welcome to a new, virtual, all digital, socially distanced music thread.

This is a continuation of a very long running and friendly series of threads, dating from long before my time, and anyone with music learning kids from pre beginner to music college is welcome to jump in at any point. Thank you to our esteemed founder and to all the lovely knowledgeable folk who chip in.

PS success stories welcome too, we like a cheery post. Never mind the stealth boasting here, just boast, your kids earned it.

@horseymum

At Mary's looks amazing but the fees assistance are on a sliding scale and my DH has a fairly comfortable salary so the fees would be massive still!

They take into account all sorts of circumstances. The cost shouldn't be a factor - they only charge what you can afford. Every UK pupil has government assistance towards their place. Some families don't pay anything at all towards fees. (One of my children went there). It is a lovely little school

So we just found out that Royal Academy are still accepting applications for their postgrad Musical Theatre course until Monday. (When dd applied to RCS & Royal Welsh in January the November original deadline for RAM had passed.

But £100 just to audition, by self tape. Think I need a drink as we transfer her the money.

@Comefromaway that’s good news about the deadline but not for the audition fee.

DD thrilled to back to in person music lessons for violin and piano and her sixth form orchestra restarted this week too.

Still online lessons here and DC losing interest. Not just music but also her sport activities.

Being back in college has made a big difference for my two. It’s ironic though that Ds can spend 2 hours in a college class with his music tech/composition teacher but has to have his private singing lesson with the same teacher on zoom.

I don’t think I said by the way. Dd arrived back to her halls last Saturday after being at home all term. She’s back in college 4 days a week with one day on zoom. The first thing her hall mates said to her was we hope you’re not going to be singing here. We’ve got essay deadlines you know. (They didn’t give her the same consideration last October when they were partying till the early hours but she had an 8.30am dance class)

She was really worried as her day on zoom includes one vocal rep & one vocal technique class. In the end college have given her permission to go in and use a spare practice room.

Oh, that's stressful Comefromaway - so hard when they're all in the same place together.

Some in-person instrument lessons back for my two this week (in school only) while the Saturday school still works out its next plan. And an in--person drama course in the Easter holiday for my younger one - it's childcare so I can work so apparently OK. She is so excited!

So it appears that dd never told me or dh that following her self taped audition she had a recall at RWCMD yesterday! And she has a recall at a London based private MT college next week.

ComeFromAway excellent news!

DS2 had his Grade 8 trombone ABRSM exam today. Feeling very lucky to have been able to do it, private visit at his JD. First in person visit to JD in over a year!

Hope it went well for him.

Hi all,

I wonder if you could advise please - DC2 (age 7) is doing Gr 3 trombone in the summer. Is it worth applying to NCO in the autumn for the U10 programme? Still on a pBone as a regular trombone is too heavy.

Thanks,
XC.

Hi XC, it's always worth a conversation with them, they are very approachable, but my previous understanding has always been that they want them on standard instruments for nationals - no pBone/smaller clarinets/tenoroons etc. It might if they're doing online stuff as well next year that they'd offer that, I don't know.

@squintsoftheworldunite

Hi XC, it's always worth a conversation with them, they are very approachable, but my previous understanding has always been that they want them on standard instruments for nationals - no pBone/smaller clarinets/tenoroons etc. It might if they're doing online stuff as well next year that they'd offer that, I don't know.

Thanks Squints - will see how we go then. His teacher has said a proper trombone is still 12-18 months away.

We have a quietly very excited dd as we just received an offer for JD for her! So hoping that it won't be blended learning by September but already looking forward to the opportunities. Now to investigate whether there is any funding support at all out there when we aren't eligible for a bursary.
Xenakis, my youngest started on a mini bassoon due to size but, as predicted, grew, out of it's capabilities a little bit before she could quite manage the full size. I don't know anything about the pbone's sound but she found she was getting frustrated as there were a few notes she couldn't quite get but just had to put up with that. You might just have to be extra encouraging in that pre transition period. It's so different to strings when then can always have the perfect size if you are able to keep trading in or loan instruments.

@horseymum Congratulations to your DD! Wonderful news. There's quite a few of us discussing JD offers over on another thread too if you want to join in!
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/extra_curricular_activities/4123482-Music-Junior-Programs?msgid=105976312#105976312

Congratulations to your dd horseymum
I dont have much experience of the pbone (or other plastic brass) but echo what horseymum said, plenty of encouragement if it gets frustrating and also keep an open mind about when transition might happen. One of mine grew like a weed and went from a 1/4 size to a 3/4 size double bass (and come to think of it her sister only played a 1/2 size violin for a couple of months). My brass players have been older when they started but ds isnt that big for his age and at 10 still finds the cornet less effort to hold than the trumpet (although he is definitely a trumpeter at heart and only plays cornet in band)

Thanks all - he’s only just able to reach the longest position by crazily extending his fingers and barely holding the slide at all. And he’s a very tall 7. His teacher is very sensible and not letting him strain for notes that just need a bit more time.

I used to play in an early music group and I'm sure the sackbuts ( old trombones) had extension handles on them!

@XenakisCarter

Hi all,

I wonder if you could advise please - DC2 (age 7) is doing Gr 3 trombone in the summer. Is it worth applying to NCO in the autumn for the U10 programme? Still on a pBone as a regular trombone is too heavy.

Thanks,
XC.

i would def get in touch - a while ago now when dd did u10s but generally expected standard was lower for wind and brass as they tend to start a bit later (always exceptions of course but dd was g2 clarinet when she first got in) given the teacher is saying 12mths plus for standard instrument , may well be perfect timing for summer 22.

Thanks @Yr10mom - I think you’re right. Will do.

Hi all - I fell off the thread a bit, great to catch up. Lots of happenings!
Congrats horseymum's DD in particular. And raspberry's DS2 - hope he was happy with how it went, I had no idea exams were back in swing.

We are starting to eye possible in person music next term, very exciting. DC have got quite into the swing of virtual rehearsals and multi track recordings. It's a long time for little ones. I realised they have been in virtual music centre longer than they were in their actual ensembles before lockdown! Just hope they still have groups to go back to.

Thirdfiddle only private visits for exams. In his case it was at JD and was a 200 mile cross border trip so quite exciting just now! He thinks it went ok but he has done better performances. Which is probably not surprising as the exam and the run-through were the first time he has played outside of his bedroom in a year! Incredible to think all his lesson s have been remote for over a year!

Horseymum that's great news!

Thanks! We are also hopeful for in person lessons end of April. School ensembles wouldn't normally start until September though so a long wait. I also realise my youngest has had virtual lessons longer than in person! She only had two taster sessions of the regional wind band too, done so much virtually now. I'm really hoping the council doesn't scrap ensembles. I suspect many kids will have given up too sadly, really hard to sustain interest.